


A favour

by The_Hybrid



Series: Stars.are.wonderful.things!verse [14]
Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-09
Updated: 2016-07-09
Packaged: 2018-07-22 14:27:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7442707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Hybrid/pseuds/The_Hybrid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor asks his friends for a favour</p>
            </blockquote>





	A favour

**Author's Note:**

> Part of my Stars.are.wonderful.things!verse.
> 
> It won't make sense by itself (probably)

The Doctor walked put of the TARDIS. He'd landed in Cardiff, looking for an old friend. As the old man looked around, he smiled. He hadn't been here in so long, but now it was time to come back. He'd been charging the TARDIS in other places, doing his best to avoid the man who shouldn't exist, who repels him at every look, but now it was time to find him again. The Doctor looked at the massive metal knife that cut through the sky as it stood directly in front of him. Torchwood 3. "Different" from the others. "Changed".

 

  
As the Doctor suspected, it wasn't long until a man came up from under the pavement in front of him, thought to be hidden by a perception filter. The Doctor smiled to himself. He was still in his Second World War jacket, with suspenders and a belt. Jack's clothing was almost as iconic as the Doctor's precious regeneration's bow tie.

  
Stepping off the pavement slab, Jack turned to the old man stood in front of him. "Excuse me sir, but did you see a man coming out of that blue box just behind you? He's an old friend of mine. I haven't seen him in a long time."

  
"I bet you haven't." The Doctor turned to face Jack, his smile dissapearing. The second old friend in a row that he'd seen, the second to have no idea who he was.   
"I'm sorry sir, did I say something wrong?"

  
So Jack did see the change in demeaner then. "No. I'm fine, just remembering some things. I'm afraid I didn't see anyone leaving that Police Box." It wasn't exactly a lie, after all. He can't see himself. Jack's face fell. "Have you got a partner, then? I can't remember the last time you weren't flirting with anyone, anything, that moved."

  
"Doctor? Is that you?! Your face though. It's changed again. How? You ran out of regenerations after you turned into Bow-tie man." Jack was looking at the Doctor in utter bewilderment.

  
"Let's just say that Gallifrey owed me a favour or two. Anyway, care for a trip? I need to ask you something, but there's a couple of people I need to find first."

  
The Doctor turned and walked into the TARDIS. He knew Jack would follow him. They'd been through too much for Jack to abandon him now, especially if the Doctor needed help.

 

*****

  
Jack and the Doctor stood outside a house in London.

  
"Are you sure this is the place?" Jack asked.

  
"For the last time Jack, if the TARDIS says this is where she lives, this is where she lives. It's been over a thousand years since you last stepped into her. I've upgraded her a bit."

  
"Fine then, but if this isn't the place..."

  
"I know, you'll shoot either me or my TARDIS. Now will you please knock on the door? And she's married now, so NO FLIRTING!"

  
"Fine." The Doctor glared at him. "I won't, alright? Mickey will kill me if I do. And he knows I'll survive, so he'll kill me again. Stop looking at me like that, okay? I'm knocking on the door now." By this time, Jack was at the door. He knocked five times in quick succession.  He only waited a few seconds before walking away. "See? They don't live here."

  
"Hello? Who is it?" A male voice rang out. "Jack, is that you?"

  
"Hello Mickey. Nice to see you again." Jack didn't sound sincere. "I don't suppose your wife is in, is she? I've brought an old friend for you both."

  
"Yeah, she's inside. Is it safe for him to come in?" Mickey gestured to the old man standing behind Jack. "You know we've got things inside here that could send people mad."

  
"Then it's a good job I've seen more things than you. Hello Rickey."

  
"It's Mickey." He replied, almost out of habit. "Hold on, Doctor, is that you? You've changed your face again." Mickey was staring at the Doctor.

 

"Can we come in now?" Jack was getting impatient. He was surrounded by really cute people, and he couldn't even flirt. He was not in the best of moods. 

 

 

About an hour later they were all in the living room, having swapped stories (only good ones mind), caught up and had a good laugh. All four of them were aware that the last time they laughed like they had today Rose was there, but no one mentioned it. Enough time would never pass for the Doctor and Jack, and Mickey and Martha didn' t want to remember Rose. She had stood in front of their lives for so long before they met each other.   
  
"So Doctor, you said you had something to ask us." Jack broke the silence that had fallen. Even when concentrating on the good memories, bad ones still surface with them, and now wasn't the time for self pity.   
  
The Doctor looked up. It had been so long sick he last saw her, and he knew he had to try and save her. But he couldn't put himself in that sort of danger. He had things to do. "There's a little girl. She saved my life, and she's stuck. She's being tortured, but I can't save her. It's too dangerous for me. She's being trained to kill me by a woman who has declared war against me. It's been so long since I was on the ship. I didn't even have this face. But she needs saving, and I need you to help. UNIT has the equipment you will need. Martha, I know you have connections there. I'm friends, of sorts, with the boss. I can keep you safe while you use it, but I can't help."   
  
"Why not Doctor? If you're on Earth, why can't you help? Surely you'd be safe?" Mickey spoke up for the first time in about half an hour.   
  
"Because even though she saved my life once, she's still been conditioned to kill me, and a lot of mind washing can happen in three years."   
  
"Three years?" It was Martha's turn to speak up now.   
  
"I've sorted out the space - time coordinates for you. You'll be getting her from three years after she saw me. It should be long enough that the security will have laxed again, and if the time goes wrong, you won't get her after she rescued me."   
  
"I'm in." Everyone stared at Jack. "She's a girl. Just a girl. How can I not?"   
  
Soon both Martha and Mickey agreed, although Mickey was somewhat hesitant. He thought it was too dangerous.   
  
  
*****   
  
  
After Jack organised a meeting time and place, he and the Doctor left. Once back in Cardiff, they parted ways, both saying long goodbyes. They didn't know when they'd see each other again.   
  
As the Doctor walked back to his TARDIS, Jack called out to him. "I'll find her Doctor. I'll find her and I'll protect her. It won't be too late. I promise."   
  
The Doctor just continued walking and closed the TARDIS behind him, but Jack knew he had heard him, and he knew Jack would do his best to help. He just hoped he was right.


End file.
